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Kawhi Leonard wants to stay in San Antonio, Danny Green says
As speculation around Kawhi Leonard and his future with the Spurs continues, teammate Danny Green added to the conversation Friday. In an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," Green was asked point-blank, "What's the deal with Kawhi Leonard?" Green revealed that the 2014 NBA Finals MVP "wants to be in San Antonio," adding Leonard let him know "verbally" he has a desire to stay with the franchise. Green elaborated further explaining the different phases of Leonard's rehab as he nursed a lingering quad injury. He also explained some of the decisions Leonard made to try and get healthy. "I think at the point of the season where he started to get healthy, it was tough to bring him back," Green said. "I think he made a decision 'I'm just going to continue to get healthy.' It's very normal, very common for guys to get a second opinion." Leonard appeared in just nine games for San Antonio in 2017-18 and, according to multiple reports, had a tense relationship with the team. During his seven-year career, all spent with the Spurs, Leonard has averaged 16.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. He’s a two-time All-Star and helped San Antonio win the 2013-14 title. He signed a five-year contract in 2015 worth more than $90 million through the 2019-20 season.
Rockets backed up fighting talk, claims James Harden
James Harden felt the Houston Rockets proved they have the mental toughness to dethrone the Golden State Warriors after ending their long unbeaten home record in the NBA playoffs. Harden scored a game-high 30 points and Chris Paul claimed a 27-point haul as the Rockets levelled the series at 2-2 with a 95-92 victory at Oracle Arena on Wednesday (AEST). The Warriors crushed their rivals 126-85 in game three of the Western Conference finals, but it is all to play for again after the defending champions were consigned to a first home playoff loss since 2016. It looked ominous for the Rockets when the Warriors raced into a 12-0 lead and they trailed by the same margin in the early stages of the final quarter before fighting back to edge it. Harden insisted the Rockets always believed they were capable of hitting back from a mauling and was glad to see his side practice what they preached in the build-up. "We've been doing it all year long, that's the main reason we're in this position we're in today," Harden said. "That third game was just one loss. We all know what that is. We've got the mentality that we're going to win game four. We've talked about it, we've preached and we came out and then stopped. "They made runs and they were going to especially at home, and we kept fighting, kept fighting, and defensively kept locking in and making big time shots. "Chris, and Eric [Gordon] and Trevor [Ariza], guys made big-time shots in that fourth quarter. We're a team. We're really good as a team." Game 5 will be staged at the Toyota Center on Friday (AEST).
Game 4 preview: James Harden, Rockets attempt to even series in tough road test
No. 1 Rockets vs. No. 2 Warriors - Golden State leads 2-1 Following its 41-point win in Game 3, Golden State looks to take a 3-1 lead over the Western Conference's No. 1 seed. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Game 3 is that Stephen Curry is back and healthy. After a quiet first half (9 points, 3-of-11 shooting), the Warriors' two-time MVP exploded for 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting in the third quarter. Curry's sudden surge helped Golden State build a 21-point lead heading into the fourth, and it never looked back, outscoring the Rockets 38-18 in the final frame. Curry finished with 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field and 5-of-12 shooting from 3-point range. The win marked the Warriors' 16th consecutive postseason victory at Oracle Arena, a new NBA record. Curry's return to a stellar level of play makes the Warriors offense seemingly impossible to stop - all five starters finished in double-figures in Game 3. Kevin Durant (25 points, six rebounds, six assists), Draymond Green (10 points, 17 rebounds, six assists), Klay Thompson (13 points) and Andre Iguodala (10 points, three assists) each benefited from Curry's offensive outburst. Iguodala, however, is listed as questionable for Game 4 due to a knee injury. How Curry follows such a performance will be the key to Game 4 for Golden State. His ability to take over offensively will make things easier for everyone else, specifically Durant and Thompson. If Iguodala is unable to play in Game 4, the Warriors will have to deviate from their dangerous "Hamptons Five" lineup, which changes the outlook of the game. As Houston attempts to even the series, it can look back to the big loss to see exactly what not to do in Game 4. The Rockets committed 20 turnovers as a team (leading to 28 points), were outrebounded 49-41 and scored a postseason-low 85 points on 39.5 percent shooting while allowing 126 points on 52.2 percent shooting. Head coach Mike D'Antoni said his team played "soft" in the loss, and his leaders agreed. Expect Houston to respond to the challenge in Game 4. James Harden (20 points) led the Rockets' scoring efforts in the nightmarish Game 3, while Chris Paul (13 points), Clint Capela (13 points) and Eric Gordon (11 points) all finished in double-figures as well. Houston's offensive woes stemmed from an inability to finish around the rim (20-of-43 in the paint) and inefficiency - Harden, Paul and Gordon combined to shoot 16-of-45 from the field. The stars of Game 2 - PJ Tucker, Trevor Ariza and Gerald Green - combined to score 21 points on 7-of-21 shooting in the Game 3 loss. On the offensive end, Houston will need to improve across the board, while the defensive focus must be to neutralize Curry and his impact in Game 4. Both are much easier said than done, but each element will be hugely important if the Rockets want to head back home tied 2-2.
Spurs hoping to offer Kawhi Leonard supermax contract of $219 million
Rumours of a rift between superstar Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs may have been greatly exaggerated, or at least fixable with a large sum of money. The Spurs are trying to meet with Leonard and his reps in hopes of discussing a five-year $219-million contract extension according to Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. Leonard will be eligible for the super-max after July 1. If he decides against it, the 26-year-old 2014 Finals MVP can hit the open market in 2019. San Antonio will be the only team however that can offer him the super-max. It's been a tough season for both Leonard and the Spurs as the two side have reportedly been at odds for months. ESPN reported back in January that there had been "months of discord" surrounding the star player's rehab on an injured right quadriceps. In March it was reported that Tony Parker led a players-only meeting to get Leonard back on the court. Leonard only ended up playing in nine games this season averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals. If the Spurs can't find a way to keep Leonard in-house, there will be no shortage of suitor for his services.
Jerwin Ancajas does his best imitation of basketball idol Kyrie Irving in training camp
Jerwin Ancajas did light in training on Sunday and managed to incorporate a little bit of basketball twice in his hour-long workout at the Homewood Suites-Hilton here. The super-flyweight champion of the world engaged trainer Joven Jimenez in several one-on-one plays to the delight of a small group of people inside the training room located at the ground floor of the hotel. Ancajas also did some dribbling drills in between shadow boxing and mitts session with Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga and former Asian Games gold medalist Bobby Jalnaiz The 26-year-old native of Panabo, Davao del Sur trained twice, once in the morning and again early in the evening two days before he breaks training camp and proceed to Fresno, California for his IBF (International Basketball Federation) title defense against fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan. Other than boxing, basketball is another passion of Ancajas, just like his promoter and idol, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao. “Cross training ni Jerwin ang basketball,” said Jimenez, adding he had a basketball court constructed at his Survival Camp in Magallanes, Cavite for Ancajas and the other boxers under his stable to play together when not in training. Ancajas is an avid Kyrie Erving fan and roots for the Boston Celtics to win in the ongoing NBA playoffs. In honor of the 26-year-old guard out of Duke, the boxing champ even named one of his children after the injured Celtics star. Jimenez said it was he who influenced Ancajas to become a Kyrie fan during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But since being traded away by the Cavs just before the season to the Celtics, Ancajas has shifted his loyalty to Boston. Still, he still has a soft spot for the Cavs, who currently trail the Celtics in their Eastern Conference finals. “Masaya pa rin yan sir kahit manalo ang Cavs, although mas masaya siya siyempre kung Celtics ang maka finals,” said Jimenez. “Ako Lebron James talaga ako,” added the jolly boxing trainer.
James Harden, LeBron James, Anthony Davis finalists for NBA MVP award
Houston's James Harden, Cleveland's LeBron James and Anthony Davis of New Orleans are the finalists for the NBA's MVP award. Harden, who led the league in scoring, has twice been a runner-up for the award, including last year when Russell Westbrook won. James has won the MVP award four times. The three finalists for the individual awards were announced on Wednesday (Thursday, Manila time). The winners will be announced on June 25 in Santa Monica, California during the NBA Awards show. Davis was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, along with Utah's Rudy Gobert and Philadelphia center Joel Embiid. The other finalists: ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Donovan Mitchell, Utah Ben Simmons, Philadelphia Jayson Tatum, Boston COACH OF THE YEAR Dwane Casey, Toronto Quin Snyder, Utah Brad Stevens, Boston SIXTH MAN Eric Gordon, Houston Fred VanVleet, Toronto Lou Williams, Clippers MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Clint Capela, Houston Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Victor Oladipo, Indiana
This Week in NBA History: Allen Iverson wins MVP
When it was all said and done for Allen Iverson's NBA career, he amassed quite the list of accomplishments. From scoring (24,368 points, 25th all-time) to his place in Philadelphia 76ers lore (where he is among the all-time leader in several categories) to playoff runs (guiding the Sixers to a 2001 Finals berth) and more, Iverson left a legacy in crafting his Hall of Fame career. As he traveled his NBA path, though, perhaps no season was more emblematic of Iverson's ways than the 2000-01 campaign. On May 15, 2001, Allen Iverson became the first 76ers player to win MVP honors since Moses Malone in 1983. Iverson totaled 1,121 points and received 93 of a possible 124 first-place votes. Tim Duncan of the Spurs (706 points, 18 first-place votes) and Shaquille O’Neal of the Lakers (578 votes, five first-place votes) trailed him in the final voting. Listed at six feet and 165 pounds, Iverson is one of the smallest players to ever win MVP honors. During that 2000-01 season, Iverson led the NBA in scoring (31.1 ppg) while helping Philadelphia to an Eastern Conference-best 56 victories, the most for the franchise since 1985, and their first Atlantic Division title since 1990. He lead the NBA in steals (2.51 a game) and minutes played (42.0 a game), becoming the first player since Michael Jordan in 1992-93 to lead the league in points and steals per game. “I had no space for error. But I never stopped and worked on all the things people said I couldn't do and now I'm the MVP of the league. It's something I always wanted," Iverson said after receiving the award.
76ers have expressed interest in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, report says
The 76ers may be looking to upgrade their roster in a big way this offseason. The Sixers have expressed interest in Spurs star forward Kawhi Leonard and the Thunder’s Paul George, according to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer’s report cited unidentified league sources. Leonard, a two-time All-Star, appeared in just nine games for San Antonio in 2017-18 because of an injured right quad, and he had a tense relationship with the team throughout his rehab process, according to multiple reports. A recent ESPN report indicated that the Spurs were worried Leonard and his advisors might try to force a trade to a bigger market. George was traded from the Pacers to the Thunder in July. He averaged 21.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Oklahoma City this season. The 27-year-old is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract and become a free agent. Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris told The Inquirer the team would do whatever it takes financially to acquire a star player like George, Leonard or LeBron James. “For a certain small number of players, we are going to go after them hard,” Harris said. “People have asked me about the luxury tax. I don’t have any problem spending for good players.” Led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid — who combined to average 38.7 points and 19.1 rebounds per game — the Sixers finished the regular season with a 52-30 record and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12. They topped the Heat in their opening-round series before falling to Boston in five games. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said in a recent interview he thought the team needed to add to its core of Simmons and Embiid if it wanted to compete for an NBA title. "At some point, when the time is right, I think we need help to win a championship," Brown said (via ESPN). "If that's the goal — and for me and us it is — then that's the answer I give."
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